The present invention is related to a switch apparatus capable of improving a moderating mechanism for applying moderation to manipulations of a manipulator.
Conventionally, such a moderating mechanism as shown in FIG. 3 has been generally proposed as a moderating mechanism of this sort of switch apparatus. In this general-purpose moderating mechanism, while reference numeral 1 shows a manipulator, this manipulator 1 is pivotally, or slidably manipulated along a direction of an arrow xe2x80x9cAxe2x80x9d. In response to this manipulation, a movable-side contact (not shown) is contacted to and/or separated from a fixed-side contact (not shown). A plurality of moderation concave portions 2 and a plurality of moderation convex portions 3 are alternately formed along a manipulation direction of the manipulator 1 in a lower plane of this manipulator 1, as viewed in this drawing.
On the other hand, reference numeral 4 shows a case. A concave portion 5 is formed in this case 4 on the side of the manipulator 1. While a coil spring 6 is stored in this concave portion 5, a moderating piece 7 is energized by spring force (elastic force) of this coil spring 6 along an upper direction, as viewed in this drawing, and is engaged with one of the moderation concave portions 2.
As a result, when the manipulator 1 is manipulated in this construction, the moderation convex portion 3 pushes the moderating piece 7 to be sunk by resisting the energizing force 5 of the coil spring 6, and thus, this moderating piece 7 is caused to cross the moderation convex portion 3 which is located adjacent to the moderation concave portion 2 engaged with this moderating piece 7. Then, the coil spring 6 causes the moderating piece 7 to be engaged with the moderation concave portion 2 by way of restoration force of this coil spring 6. Since this operation is sequentially carried out along the manipulation direction of the manipulator 1, moderation may be applied to the manipulations of the manipulator 1.
In the above-described conventional switch apparatus, the coil spring 6 is required in order to engage the moderating piece 7 with the moderation concave portion 2 of the manipulator 1. Accordingly, a total number of structural components employed in the conventional switch apparatus is increased and a cumbersome operation is necessarily required so as to assemble these structural components, resulting in high manufacturing cost.
The present invention has been made to solve the above-explained problems, and therefore, has an object to provide such a switch apparatus. That is, in accordance with the switch apparatus of the present invention, a total number of structural components required in a moderating mechanism for applying moderation to manipulations of a manipulator can be reduced, these structural components can be easily assembled, and also, manufacturing cost thereof can be decreased.
In order to solve the aforesaid object, the invention is characterized by having the following arrangement.
First Aspect
A switch apparatus comprising:
an insulating board including a fixed contact;
an elastic member including a movable contact capable of being connected to the fixed contact, and including a displaceable portion which is elastically displaceable in a direction toward the insulating board;
a manipulator movable in a direction substantially perpendicular to the direction in which the displaceable portion is elastically displaced, including a moderation concave portion opposed to the elastic member;
a moderating piece disposed between the moderation concave portion and the displaceable portion, wherein the displaceable portion urges the moderation piece toward the moderation concave portion so that the moderation piece is engaged with the moderation concave portion.
Second Aspect
The switch apparatus according to the first aspect, wherein the elastic member includes a body, the displaceable portion and a thinner-thickness portion connecting the body to the displaceable portion, and the body of the elastic member is attached to the insulating board.
Third Aspect
The switch apparatus according to the first aspect further comprising a manipulator holder including a hole through which the moderating piece passes.
Fourth Aspect
The switch apparatus according to the first aspect, wherein the manipulator includes a plurality of the moderating concave portions and a plurality of moderating convex portion for pressing the moderating piece toward the elastic member, which are alternatively arranged.